Summary and Commentary on Laudato Si': the Pope's encyclical on the environment and poverty

Summary and Commentary on Laudato Si':
the Pope's encyclical on the environment and poverty

Arthur Lyon Dahl
International Environment Forum
Geneva, Switzerland

The long-awaited encyclical letter of Pope Francis, Laudato Si':
on care for our common home, was released on 18 June 2015. The
title comes from the canticle of Saint Francis, “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore”
– “Praise be to you, my Lord”, and sets the theme for a lengthy addition
to Catholic Church teaching (248 paragraphs) that addresses both the
environmental challenges facing the world and persistent poverty, weaving
the two themes together as aspects of the same spiritual illness facing
the world today. The letter is framed as an integrated systems perspective
on the material and spiritual challenges, and the need for spiritual
solutions. As Baha'is we can welcome such a clear stand by the Catholic
Church on issues where we share both the priority that they should be
given, and the diagnosis of the fundamental spiritual illness behind both
problems.

The encyclical letter, which has 246 paragraphs, opens with a
sixteen-paragraph introduction. Then follow six chapters starting with
where we are in our treatment of our planetary home and ending with the
type of spiritual education needed to come to terms with environmental
challenges and poverty. The chapter titles are: Chapter 1, “What Is
Happening to Our Common Home”; Chapter 2, “The Gospel of Creation”;
Chapter 3, “The Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis”; Chapter 4,
“Integral Ecology”; Chapter 5, “Lines of Approach and Action”; and Chapter
6, Ecological Education and Spirituality.” Each chapter has between three
and nine subsections. The encyclical concludes with a prayer for our earth
and a Christian prayer in union with creation.

The letter is addressed to all the peoples of the world, not just
Catholics. It opens with a review of previous Catholic statements on the
environment, going back to Saint Francis of Assisi, and citing also the
initiatives of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Orthodox
Church, as well as Protestant and Sufi sources. It summarizes the major
environmental challenges as defined by science, and explores their deeper
causes in a materialistic society of short-term selfish interests bent on
profit without regard for the needs of the poor or the environment. The
issues discussed include pollution and climate change, water (for which
access is a basic human right), loss of biodiversity, decline in the
quality of human life and the breakdown of society, global inequality,
weak responses, and the variety of opinions. There are strong critiques of
consumerism, the economy and multilateral corporations that are
reminiscent of those in statements and publications of the Baha'i
International Community
(https://www.bic.org/statements-and-reports/statements;
https://www.bic.org/publications) and "One Common Faith", among
others.

Among the themes developed by the Pope are

the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the
planet, the conviction that everything in the world is connected, the
critique of new paradigms and forms of power derived from technology, the
call to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress, the
value proper to each creature, the human meaning of ecology, the need for
forthright and honest debate, the serious responsibility of international
and local policies, the throwaway culture and the proposal of a new
lifestyle. (§16)

There are also proposals for dialogue and action. The following are some
of the major themes of the encyclical letter.

RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE,
TO GOD, AND TO FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS

Chapter 2 on the gospel of creation begins with a call for a dialogue
between science and religion, and the light offered by religious faith on
the challenges identified by science. Our relationship with God, with
other human beings and with nature has been broken, and we must return to
our obligation to use the earth's goods responsibly, and to respect other
living beings and all of creation. "Everything is interconnected, and...
genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is
inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others." (§70)
The scriptures describe God as the creator, and depict the love of God for
His creation. The Pope is critical of every tyrannical and irresponsible
domination of human beings over other creatures.

If we acknowledge the value and the fragility of nature and, at the
same time, our God-given abilities, we can finally leave behind the
modern myth of unlimited material progress. A fragile world, entrusted
by God to human care, challenges us to devise intelligent ways of
directing, developing and limiting our power. (§78)

With respect to nature, each creature has its own purpose. The
contemplation of creation allows us to discover in each thing a teaching
that God wishes to hand on to us. We can better understand the importance
and meaning of each creature if we contemplate it within the entirety of
God’s plan. As part of the universe, called into being by one Father, all
of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal
family, a sublime communion that fills us with a sacred, affectionate and
humble respect. The natural environment is a collective good, the
patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone.

Throughout the letter, the Pope weaves together ecological and social
concerns.

A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our
hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human
beings.... Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a
sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to
resolving the problems of society. (§91)

Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is
essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit
everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the
Creator, since God created the world for everyone. Hence every
ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which
takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the
underprivileged. The principle of the subordination of private property
to the universal destination of goods, and thus the right of everyone to
their use, is a golden rule of social conduct.... (§93)

CRITIQUE OF THE PRESENT
SYSTEM AND ITS VALUES

In chapter 3, the letter explores the human roots of the
ecological crisis, with a focus on the dominant technocratic paradigm and
the place of human beings and of human action in the world. The Pope's
social conscience is particularly apparent.

We should be particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our
midst, whereby we continue to tolerate some considering themselves more
worthy than others. We fail to see that some are mired in desperate and
degrading poverty, with no way out, while others have not the faintest
idea of what to do with what they possess, vainly showing off their
supposed superiority and leaving behind them so much waste which, if it
were the case everywhere, would destroy the planet. In practice, we
continue to tolerate that some consider themselves more human than
others, as if they had been born with greater rights. (§90)

By cutting ourselves off from the reality of both nature and
spirituality, we fall into the trap of the consumer society. Our
excessive anthropocentrism stands in the way of shared understanding and
of any effort to strengthen social bonds. "Once the human being declares
independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very
foundations of our life begin to crumble." (§117) We set ourselves at the
centre, and give absolute priority to immediate convenience, with all else
becoming relative. The result is rampant individualism, and many problems
of society are connected with today’s self-centred culture of instant
gratification. The market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an
effort to sell its products, so we easily get caught up in a compulsive
consumerism of needless buying and spending. When people become
self-centred, their greed increases.

The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs things to
buy, own and consume. It becomes almost impossible to accept the limits
imposed by reality.... Obsession with a consumerist lifestyle, above all
when few people are capable of maintaining it, can only lead to violence
and mutual destruction. (§204)

Our freedom fades when it is handed over to the blind forces of the
unconscious, of immediate needs, of self-interest, and of violence. In
this sense, we stand naked and exposed in the face of our
ever-increasing power, lacking the wherewithal to control it. We have
certain superficial mechanisms, but we cannot claim to have a sound
ethics, a culture and spirituality genuinely capable of setting limits
and teaching clear-minded self-restraint. (§105)

The Pope frequently refers to problems of corruption. "When the culture
itself is corrupt and objective truth and universally valid principles are
no longer upheld, then laws can only be seen as arbitrary impositions or
obstacles to be avoided." (§123)

The letter criticizes how the method and aims of science and
technology are made an epistemological paradigm, with a reductionism
in which technological products create a framework that ends up
conditioning lifestyles and shaping social possibilities along the lines
dictated by the interests of certain powerful groups. The technological
paradigm has become so dominant that it would be difficult to do without
its resources and even more difficult to utilize them without being
dominated by their internal logic. Technological specialization makes it
difficult to see the larger picture:

The fragmentation of knowledge proves helpful for concrete
applications, but it often leads to a gradual loss of appreciation for
the whole, for the relationships between things, and for the broader
horizon, which then becomes irrelevant. This very fact makes it hard to
find adequate ways of solving the more complex problems of today’s
world, particularly those regarding the environment and the poor; these
problems cannot be dealt with from a single perspective or from a single
set of interests. A science which would offer solutions to the great
issues would necessarily have to take into account the data generated by
other fields of knowledge, including philosophy and social ethics.
(§110)

This reference to a science of great issues mirrors the calls in the
scientific community for a new sustainability science integrated across
the disciplines.

The critique extends to the economic system, and the easy
acceptance of "the idea of infinite or unlimited growth, which proves so
attractive to economists, financiers and experts in technology. It is
based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the earth’s goods,
and this leads to the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit."
(§106) The absolute power of the financial system will only give rise to
new crises.

The financial crisis of 2007-08 provided an opportunity to develop a
new economy, more attentive to ethical principles, and new ways of
regulating speculative financial practices and virtual wealth. But the
response to the crisis did not include rethinking the outdated criteria
which continue to rule the world. (§189)

The technocratic paradigm also tends to dominate economics and
political life. The economy accepts every advance in technology with a
view to profit, without concern for its potential negative impact on
human beings. Finance overwhelms the real economy. The lessons of the
global financial crisis have not been assimilated, and we are learning
all too slowly the lessons of environmental deterioration.... showing no
interest in more balanced levels of production, a better distribution of
wealth, concern for the environment and the rights of future
generations.... We fail to see the deepest roots of our present
failures, which have to do with the direction, goals, meaning and social
implications of technological and economic growth. (§109)

As a consequence,

Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may
well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth. The
pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the
planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it
is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which even now
periodically occur in different areas of the world. The effects of the
present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and
now. We need to reflect on our accountability before those who will have
to endure their dire consequences. (§161)

SOLUTIONS

Having diagnosed the illness, much as Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the
Baha'i Faith, did in the nineteenth century and the international Baha'i
institutions have done more recently, the encyclical describes the fundamental
transformation that will be needed to solve these problems. It will
not be sufficient to undertake a series of urgent and partial responses to
the immediate problems of pollution, environmental decay and the depletion
of natural resources. "There needs to be a distinctive way of looking at
things, a way of thinking, policies, an educational programme, a lifestyle
and a spirituality which together generate resistance to the assault of
the technocratic paradigm." (§111)

If the present ecological crisis is one small sign of the ethical,
cultural and spiritual crisis of modernity, we cannot presume to heal
our relationship with nature and the environment without healing all
fundamental human relationships.... Our relationship with the
environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and
with God. (§119)

"There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a
renewal of humanity itself" (§118).

All of this shows the urgent need for us to move forward in a bold
cultural revolution. Science and technology are not neutral; from the
beginning to the end of a process, various intentions and possibilities
are in play and can take on various shapes. Nobody is suggesting a
return to the Stone Age, but we do need to slow down and look at reality
in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress
which has been made, but also to recover the values and the great goals
swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur. (§114)

The beginnings of that change are already apparent. "An authentic
humanity, calling for a new synthesis, seems to dwell in the midst of our
technological culture, almost unnoticed" (§112). This theme has also been
developed in Baha'i International Community statements at the United
Nations, such as "Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a
Culture of Consumerism" (2010)
https://www.bic.org/statements/rethinking-prosperity-forging-alternativ….

The encyclical, in chapter 4, calls for an integral ecology, one
that clearly respects its human and social dimensions:

Ecology studies the relationship between living organisms and the
environment in which they develop. This necessarily entails reflection
and debate about the conditions required for the life and survival of
society, and the honesty needed to question certain models of
development, production and consumption. It cannot be emphasized enough
how everything is interconnected. (§138)

Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a
mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and
thus in constant interaction with it.... It is essential to seek
comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural
systems themselves and with social systems. We are not faced with two
separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one
complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a
solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring
dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature. (§139)

"We urgently need a humanism capable of bringing together the different
fields of knowledge, including economics, in the service of a more
integral and integrating vision" (§141). "Human ecology also implies
another profound reality: the relationship between human life and the
moral law, which is inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the
creation of a more dignified environment" (§155). It is heartwarming to
see the Pope develop themes to which I and many others have devoted our
lives, and that reflect the Baha'i approach.

There is also an acknowledgement of the need for approaches that reach to
the local community level and that make science more accessible.
Ecology calls for greater attention to local cultures when studying
environmental problems, favouring a dialogue between scientific-technical
language and the language of the people. Culture is more than what we have
inherited from the past; it is also, and above all, a living, dynamic and
participatory present reality, which cannot be excluded as we rethink the
relationship between human beings and the environment. This includes the
important contribution of indigenous cultures, and the need for more
participation in urban planning.

There is a focus in the letter on the principle of the common good:

Underlying the principle of the common good is respect for the human
person as such, endowed with basic and inalienable rights ordered to his
or her integral development. It has also to do with the overall welfare
of society and the development of a variety of intermediate groups, in
applying the principle of subsidiarity. Outstanding among those groups
is the family, as the basic cell of society. Finally, the common good
calls for social peace, the stability and security provided by a certain
order which cannot be achieved without particular concern for
distributive justice; whenever this is violated, violence always ensues.
Society as a whole, and the state in particular, are obliged to defend
and promote the common good. (§157)

The notion of the common good also extends to future generations.... We
can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from
intergenerational solidarity. Once we start to think about the kind of
world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things
differently; we realize that the world is a gift which we have freely
received and must share with others. Since the world has been given to
us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which
efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual
benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a
basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs
to those who will follow us. (§159)

The fifth chapter develops lines of approach and action, the
major paths of dialogue that help us to escape the spiral of
self-destruction that currently engulfs us. Central to this is the concept
of the oneness of humankind so important in the Baha'i teachings:

There has been a growing conviction that our planet is a homeland and
that humanity is one people living in a common home. An interdependent
world not only makes us more conscious of the negative effects of
certain lifestyles and models of production and consumption which affect
us all; more importantly, it motivates us to ensure that solutions are
proposed from a global perspective, and not simply to defend the
interests of a few countries. Interdependence obliges us to think of one
world with a common plan. (§164)

The concept of the oneness of humankind and of the planet as our common
home has obvious implications for international approaches to governance,
so pertinent with the coming UN summit on the post-2015 agenda and the
Sustainable Development Goals, and the December Climate Change Conference
(COP21) in Paris.

International negotiations cannot make significant progress due to
positions taken by countries which place their national interests above
the global common good. Those who will have to suffer the consequences
of what we are trying to hide will not forget this failure of conscience
and responsibility. (§169)

"Halfway measures simply delay the inevitable disaster. Put simply, it is
a matter of redefining our notion of progress." (§194)

There are some very specific comments on issues central to the environmental
debate.

Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be
subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.
Today, in view of the common good, there is urgent need for politics and
economics to enter into a frank dialogue in the service of life,
especially human life. (§189)

Environmental protection cannot be assured solely on the basis of
financial calculations of costs and benefits. With respect to
genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) the Pope notes that "a technology
severed from ethics will not easily be able, by itself, to limit its own
power." (§136). He refers to the need for common and differentiated
responsibilities, speaks out against carbon credits, and calls for help
with less polluting forms of energy. There is a need for enforceable
international agreements, global regulatory norms, environmental impact
assessment, and the precautionary principle. On ocean governance, there is
a need for an agreement on systems of governance for the whole range of
so-called “global commons” (§174). We witness a weakening of the power of
nation states, chiefly because the economic and financial sectors, being
transnational, tend to prevail over the political. Given this situation,
it is essential to devise stronger and more efficiently organized
international institutions, with functionaries who are appointed fairly by
agreement among national governments, and empowered to impose sanctions:

The myopia of power politics delays the inclusion of a
far-sighted environmental agenda within the overall agenda of
governments.... True statecraft is manifest when, in difficult times, we
uphold high principles and think of the long-term common good. Political
powers do not find it easy to assume this duty in the work of
nation-building. (§178)

What is needed is a politics which is farsighted and capable of a new,
integral and interdisciplinary approach to handling the different
aspects of the crisis. Often, politics itself is responsible for the
disrepute in which it is held, on account of corruption and the failure
to enact sound public policies. (§197)

The letter calls for an economic system that is a worthy
expression of our most noble human qualities, striving intelligently,
boldly and responsibly to promote a sustainable and equitable development
within the context of a broader concept of quality of life. As in the
Baha'i writings, it emphasizes the importance of work:

We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that
technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would
be detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of
life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal
fulfilment. (§128)

Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and
improving our world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the
areas in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs
as an essential part of its service to the common good. (§129)

With respect to growth,

a decrease in the pace of production and consumption can at times give
rise to another form of progress and development. Efforts to promote a
sustainable use of natural resources are not a waste of money, but
rather an investment capable of providing other economic benefits in the
medium term. If we look at the larger picture, we can see that more
diversified and innovative forms of production which impact less on the
environment can prove very profitable. (§191)

If in some cases sustainable development were to involve new forms of
growth, in other cases, given the insatiable and irresponsible growth
produced over many decades, we need also to think of containing growth
by setting some reasonable limits and even retracing our steps before it
is too late. (§193)

The letter contains a section on religions in dialogue with science:

It cannot be maintained that empirical science provides a complete
explanation of life, the interplay of all creatures and the whole of
reality. This would be to breech the limits imposed by its own
methodology. If we reason only within the confines of the latter, little
room would be left for aesthetic sensibility, poetry, or even reason’s
ability to grasp the ultimate meaning and purpose of things. (§199)

The majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers.
This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of
protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect
and fraternity. Dialogue among the various sciences is likewise needed,
since each can tend to become enclosed in its own language, while
specialization leads to a certain isolation and the absolutization of
its own field of knowledge. This prevents us from confronting
environmental problems effectively. (§201)

The emphasis on the need for religions to be in dialogue with science
logically leads in chapter 6 to a discussion of ecological education
and spirituality. The letter refers to the Earth Charter (§207), and calls
for a sense of social responsibility on the part of consumers (§206).

Disinterested concern for others, and the rejection of every form of
self-centeredness and self-absorption, are essential if we truly wish to
care for our brothers and sisters and for the natural environment. These
attitudes also attune us to the moral imperative of assessing the impact
of our every action and personal decision on the world around us. If we
can overcome individualism, we will truly be able to develop an
alternative lifestyle and bring about significant changes in society.
(§208)

Environmental education has broadened its goals. Whereas in the
beginning it was mainly centred on scientific information,
consciousness-raising and the prevention of environmental risks, it
tends now to include a critique of the “myths” of a modernity grounded
in a utilitarian mind-set (individualism, unlimited progress,
competition, consumerism, the unregulated). It seeks also to restore the
various levels of ecological equilibrium, establishing harmony within
ourselves, with others, with nature and other living creatures, and with
God. Environmental education should facilitate making that leap towards
the transcendent which gives ecological ethics its deepest meaning. It
needs educators capable of developing an ethics of ecology, and helping
people, through effective pedagogy, to grow in solidarity,
responsibility and compassionate care. (§210)

"Only by cultivating sound virtues will people be able to make a selfless
ecological commitment" (§211). This is close to the focus of the
Partnership for Education and Research about Responsible Living
(http://livingresponsibly.org) and a research programme I have helped to
lead on values-based learning and indicators (http://esdinds.eu).

The encyclical calls for an ecological conversion, in which
spirituality can motivate us to a more passionate concern for the
protection of our world. The ecological crisis is a summons to profound
interior conversion to bring about lasting change, which also should be a
community conversion. The letter discusses how humility helps to overcome
the ego, the need for interior peace, and how a balanced lifestyle united
with a capacity for wonder can take us to a deeper understanding of life.
We should not understand our human superiority as a reason for personal
glory or irresponsible dominion, but rather as a different capacity that,
in its turn, entails a serious responsibility stemming from our faith.

Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the
quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle,
one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption. We
need to take up an ancient lesson, found in different religious
traditions and also in the Bible. It is the conviction that “less is
more”.... Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation
and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that
simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to
be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be
spiritually detached from from what we possess, and not to succumb to
sadness for what we lack. (§222)

Even living on little, they can live a lot, above all when they
cultivate other pleasures and find satisfaction in fraternal encounters,
in service, in developing their gifts, in music and art, in contact with
nature, in prayer. Happiness means knowing how to limit some needs which
only diminish us, and being open to the many different possibilities
which life can offer. (§223)

We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a
shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and
decent are worth it. We have had enough of immorality and the mockery of
ethics, goodness, faith and honesty.... When the foundations of social
life are corroded, what ensues are battles over conflicting interests,
new forms of violence and brutality, and obstacles to the growth of a
genuine culture of care for the environment. (§229)

The letter concludes with a discussion of community actions, the relation
of these themes to Catholic beliefs, and an interfaith prayer for our
earth and a Christian prayer in union with creation.

It is apparent in this summary how much all those who accept that human
purpose is ultimately spiritual come to similar conclusions about the
nature of our environmental and social crises, the spiritual solutions
that are called for, and the urgency of a fundamental transition in our
society away from materialism and excessive consumption. So many sentences
in the Pope's letter resonate with Baha'i texts about the connections
between all things and the impossibility of separating the inner
environment from that outside, that it is not practical to cite them all.
The encyclical provides a strong basis for interreligious collaboration in
laying the spiritual foundations for positive solutions to the
environmental and social crises that threaten us with catastrophe. It also
invites a dialogue between science and religion that Baha'is have been
pursuing for over a century. We can only hope and pray that governments
will now rise to their responsibilities in the months ahead, while already
we advance as rapidly as we can at the level of civil society.